1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to splicing devices for machines which utilize film material, successively provided by a pair of feed rolls. More specifically, the invention pertains to a method and apparatus for semiautomatically splicing a full film roll to the end of a nearly depleted film roll, supplying film to a roll-fed labeling machine. The splicing operation is accomplished without stopping the labeling machine, and without losing label registration between the spliced rolls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a considerable number of devices adapted for splicing rolls of tape or film so that a constant and uninterrupted supply of film material can be fed into a labeling machine, or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,388 issued to Nagata et al., shows an automatic splicer which allows continuous operation of a tape feeding machine during the course of a splicing operation, while maintaining exact registration of printed patterns upon the tape through the splice. U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,940, granted to Koster, illustrates a feed roll splicer for a label machine using intermittent operation.
In Takimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,057, a pair of rotatable cutting drums and a pair of splicing drums are employed for joining an old and a new web in abutting relation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,328, granted to Krytsonen teaches the use of a "suction beam" during the process of taping a first web to a second web.
In Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,124, a pair of clamping bars, a single vacuum actuated clamping bar, and a heated cutting wire adapted to pass through an arcuate path are disclosed as elements of an apparatus for splicing foam sheet material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,291, issued to Reed, utilizes a spring loaded swing arm to provide acceleration of the web of the new roll of material to match the speed of the expiring web.
Hottendorf, U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,170 discloses a tape splicer using a photoelectric cell to sense the tape end coming off an empty supply roll; a motor actuated by the photoelectric cell output moves a pair of clamping rolls together to splice the tapes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,153 issued to King shows a device for splicing and winding tape into a cassette, using an arm to take up slack and maintain tension on the tape, and a suction block and pneumatically actuated tape clamping means.
While the present invention shares the general objectives of some of the prior art discussed above, it accomplishes these objectives in a much simplified and structurally distinguishable manner from known prior art devices.